Whenhediscoveredablood-blisterunderathumb-nail，whichhehadreceivedthepreviousweek，hisself-identificationbecamedoublysure，andheknewthatthoseunfamiliarhandsbelongedtoMarcusO’Brien，or，justasmuchtothepoint，thatMarcusO’Brienbelongedtothehands。Hisfirstthoughtwasthathewasill——thathehadhadriverfever。Ithurthimsomuchtoopenhiseyesthathekeptthemclosed。Asmallfloatingbranchstrucktheboatasharprap。Hethoughtitwassomeoneknockingonthecabindoor，andsaid，\"Comein。\"Hewaitedforawhile，andthensaidtestily，\"Stayout，then，damnyou。\"Butjustthesamehewishedtheywouldcomeinandtellhimabouthisillness。
Butashelaythere，thepastnightbegantoreconstructitselfinhisbrain。Hehadn’tbeensickatall，washisthought;hehadmerelybeendrunk，anditwastimeforhimtogetupandgotowork。
Worksuggestedhismine，andherememberedthathehadrefusedtenthousanddollarsforit。Hesatupabruptlyandsqueezedopenhiseyes。Hesawhimselfinaboat，floatingontheswollenbrownfloodoftheYukon。Thespruce-coveredshoresandislandswereunfamiliar。
Hewasstunnedforatime。Hecouldn’tmakeitout。Hecouldrememberthelastnight’sorgy，buttherewasnoconnectionbetweenthatandhispresentsituation。
Heclosedhiseyesandheldhisachingheadinhishands。Whathadhappened？Slowlythedreadfulthoughtaroseinhismind。Hefoughtagainstit，strovetodriveitaway，butitpersisted：hehadkilledsomebody。ThatalonecouldexplainwhyhewasinanopenboatdriftingdowntheYukon。ThelawofRedCowthathehadsolongadministeredhadnowbeenadministeredtohim。Hehadkilledsomeoneandbeensetadrift。Butwhom？Herackedhisachingbrainfortheanswer，butallthatcamewasavaguememoryofbodiesfallinguponhimandofstrikingoutatthem。Whowerethey？Maybehehadkilledmorethanone。Hereachedtohisbelt。Theknifewasmissingfromitssheath。Hehaddoneitwiththatundoubtedly。Buttheremusthavebeensomereasonforthekilling。Heopenedhiseyesandinapanicbegantosearchabouttheboat。Therewasnogrub，notanounceofgrub。Hesatdownwithagroan。Hehadkilledwithoutprovocation。Theextremerigourofthelawhadbeenvisiteduponhim。